the Legend
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UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
Have you given to SOS yet? BY KALI MCKAY
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s students fill hallways and classrooms signaling the start of another semester at the University of Lethbridge, their presence begs the question: have you made your contribution to Supporting Our Students (SOS) yet this year? The new 2012/13 SOS campaign Co-Chairs, Dr. Jon Doan (PhD ’06) and Judy Jaeger, are interested in your answer as they prepare to launch this year’s campaign. “The students are back and they need our help,” says Jaeger, manager of caretaking services and a long-time supporter of the campaign. The campaign, which will officially kick off at an event on Wednesday, Sept. 19, has a strong history of support at the U of L. Since its inception in 2005, more than 650 University faculty, staff and retirees have contributed more than $1.5 million toward student scholarships and bursaries. “This type of support sends a strong message to students,” says Doan, a professor in kinesiology and physical education. “It shows them that the people who work here are willing to personally invest in their success.” Through their work on campus, both Doan and Jaeger interact with students regularly and have seen the difference scholarships and bursaries can make. These Co-Chairs insist, though, that it’s not only students who benefit from the campaign – faculty and staff have a lot to gain by making a gift.
Dr. Glenda Bonifacio recently attended the Second International Colloquium on Borders and Cultural Diversity
Supporting Our Students Co-Chairs Dr. Jon Doan and Judy Jaeger.
“Working here isn’t about punching in and punching out. This really is a community and everyone has a role to play,” explains Doan, who maintains faculty and staff have tremendous influence. “Giving is a great way to help strengthen our community and ensure that your own personal values and interests are represented here.” Jaeger notes that her own gifts have allowed her to support students like those who work in her department. “We have a lot of students who work casually or even part and full time,” says Jaeger, who established a bursary a few years ago to help students in financial need. “I see how they struggle
Join us as we launch the 2012/13 Supporting Our Students campaign. Make your 2012 gift in by September 28 and you will be entered into a draw to win a prize from the U of L bookstore! Visit uleth.ca/giving to make a donation today.
and how hard they have to work to make ends meet.” For faculty and staff considering making a gift, Doan offers a word of advice: “Find an area that’s meaningful for you and support it. Contributing to the campaign helps students, but it also creates a sense of community on this campus that we all benefit from.” For more information on Supporting Our Students or to make your contribution today, visit www.uleth.ca/giving/supporting-our-students. Make your 2012 gift by September 28 and you will be entered into a draw to win a prize from the U of L Bookstore.
Wednesday, September 19 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Program 11:30 a.m. University Hall, 6th level patio 4
CONFERENCE CONTINUES RELATIONSHIP WITH BRAZIL BY BOB COONEY Dr. Glenda Bonifacio (women and gender studies) was one of two Canadian researchers invited to the Second International Colloquium on Borders and Cultural Diversity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, over the summer. Bonifacio, who studies a wide range of topics relating to gender and migration, discussed her research about constructing labour identities of female workers who have left their countries of origin, mostly from developing economies, to seek better opportunities for themselves and their families in postcolonial contexts. Bonifacio says that in Brazil, there is also a high rate of return migration, which made her research and presentation particularly relevant to the local participants. Her work and the relationships built through the meetings will have productive spinoffs in her classes and future research projects. “The conference covered topics on cultural diversity, development and sustainability; these are important concepts in a globalizing world with local applications,” she says. “We also talked about the concern for the rights of marginalized communities, the business model driving growth and development at the expense of the environment; the intersections of gender and race. These are all part of my research and
courses and will become part of my class discussions.” The international speakers were invited by the host institutions, State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Bonifacio says that she is working on a possible international collaboration with a postdoctoral fellow at UFRJ on return migration, and has had discussions with UERJ, which is also open to international collaboration. Her visit is one of several made by U of L representatives in the past year. U of L President Mike Mahon was part of a significant Canadian delegation to Brazil in May, while the U of L recruitment team has joined a number of Canadian-sponsored efforts to bring students to Canada from Brazil. There are presently five Brazilian students studying at the U of L and, just this week, the U of L welcomed two more students from Brazil who are attending classes as part of a unique program called Science Without Borders. Through this program, Brazilian students receive funding (for tuition, room & board, travel and other fees) to study at an overseas university for one year. They complete one semester of English training, one semester of undergraduate studies and a four-month research or industry placement.